It has been a long time since the war in China intruded upon this tale.. But now , with supplies flowing freely across the Burma road, the first offensive in 8 bitter years of war begins

The road and rail link between henghang and Kukong first crosses the great river that sweeps south of Changsha, then follows almost due south a great valley, 40 miles wide for some 80 miles, before slowly climbing through the rugged foot hill country around Kukong. It is, initially , a valley of rice fields, a great many small villages, unchanged in make up for centries. There are few defensive positions until the hills north of Kukong.

What China fails to notice, in this first offensive, is that directly south of henghang, is another rail and road link, that drives along the southern bank of the river, and then curves south towards central southern china.

On the 15th of November, 5 chinese divisions cross the river south of Henghang, and drive south On the 21st, they obliterate a regimental out post, and triumphant, press towards Kukong

Japanese reaction, is swift, bold. 5 tank regiments, a mobile infantry regiment, and a recon unit, are immediately sent north and west, up that noted valley in the centre. Units race towards Kukong On the 27th, the Japanese armour debouches into the head of the valley, a mere 20 miles south of Henghang, where, too late, another two chinese divisions cross the river to block. Japanese tanks, compared to the allies, are frail, weak things. But if your heaviest weapon is a rifle, they are unstoppable

The battle of the 28th is short, sharp, brutal. One any panzer commander of Germany would only nod with satisfaction at. The chinese divisions are flung back across the river.

Without hesitation, the tanks swing south. From Kukong, 3 divisions move north

Blitzkrieg has come late to the pacific war. But it is no less devastating

His feet crunch in the light covering of snow as he jumps down from his new fighter. Ogowa smiles, Diogowa is flapping his arms, beating his body, trying frantically to beat some warmth into his body "Its cold.........this is Sapporo you know, and winter is coming"

Diogowa looks about the bleak field, the light covering of snow upon the field, the greay skies, the bare trees bordering the field. Its been a terrible flight, low cloud, fog, heavy winds. ""Does anyone really think the allies are coming here, now?.........with winter coming on?"

Ogowa feels the biting air, the chilling wind on his face, feels his skin already begin to freeze "No, I don't........truk this, lets get inside"

Will he ever see it again? deep, deep in his bones, Ogowa doubts it. Sapporo is behind, kagoshima ahead. Today, he will traverse the whole length of his land, then tomorrow, undoubtably, south, to the war.

it is good, to see home one last time Good, to nod towards the eternal, to pay your respects

And to swear, by all that is holy, that no foriegn flag will ever fly upon it.

Our men on the zuiho would have recongnised the sound immediately. that ringing, trash can crash of a fish slamming into some hapless hull, that tearing, creaking groaning of baulkheads collapsing,,,,,,,, Hosho and his men have never heard this sound, but they have now. Too a man in the crowded compartment, faces go white. hosho cannot help himself, sphincter tightens, and eyes immediately turn towards the exit, the companion way out of this bloody steel box.

The tannoy breaks into life "There has been a submarine attack. This ship has not, repeat, not been hit. All soldiers will remain below decks" What follows is nightmarish.

For an hour, the bangs ring through the hull.

depth charges, but how are they to know? A million un answered questions...........did they get it?. Who got it?

Long pig dares a look over his right shoulder, the oscar, sleek, deadly, is winging over, parrallel, slicing in..

he moves quickly, hauling the stick hard to starboard, pulling it back at the same time into his belly, and then, in one brutal moment, killing the throttles.

Things happen fast, the two planes perform a scissor movement, the violent action of the great bomber catching the fighter pilot by surprise, it flashes, roaring mere feet above, the wellingtomns front turret spraying wildly after it.

The beast stalls.

the right wing plunges down, the nose whips around flinging the crew hard against straps, the world spins.... 'ONE!" "Two! Three!" the world is rising fast....... Engines bellow..............to unstall, one must first, parodoxically dive even steeper, to restore flow over the wings

he grunts as opposite rudder goes boots, sink, kitchen, all in..........and now they both are hauling her back.........

the right wing plunges down, the nose whips around flinging the crew hard against straps, the world spins.... 'ONE!" "Two! Three!" the world is rising fast....... Engines bellow..............to unstall, one must first, parodoxically dive even steeper, to restore flow over the wings

he grunts as opposite rudder goes boots, sink, kitchen, all in..........and now they both are hauling her back.........

The first time I went up in a small plane (C-152 N511L) the pilot my "friend" took us up to 7000 ft to demonstrate a stall. The little airplane instead went into a full spin, just like you described.

By the time he got it out of the spin we were at 1000 ft

I'd almost forgotten it, until I read this.

_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you. Sun Tzu

Hirate hesitates for but a moment as he crosses Chiburi's gangway. It is before dawn, cold, but still

The lights reflect on the calm bay, just near her stern, ripples in the water, a school of minnows using the hull for shelter. Another moment, all who have sailed the seas know. When Hirate crosses that gangway, a unseen bridge also is crossed Now, on the shore, he can pretend he is a civilian, can pretend, in a way, that he is still free. Cross it, and he will be subtly, but inescapeably, captured.

Those hidden Mistresses, the sea, the ship, will wrap invisible chains about him.

The sad part, thinks Hirate, as he crosses onto the cold deck, nods to the even colder quartermaster, is a large part of him welcomes those hidden chains. Almost seeks them

For many, to serve the ship, the sea, is a service that fullfills life itself.

he makes his way to the small galley, puts the kettle on. two other seamen join him, quiet "goodmornings", the clatter of cutlery, the sipping of liquids. But mostly silence

And then, as ever, with the sun still to rise, to work

The engine room is cold.

Flashup of a diesel space lacks completely the romance of steam. There is no long slow buildup to the climax, no steady rises of pressure, no step by upward step towards the goal.

No. Its open this, open that, confirm this, confirm that. Then, the intake of breathe, and the crossed fingers...........

At 7 am, Hirate pulls the start lever

The port diesel, the bitch of the pair, hesitates, jerks, then rolls, clattering a little (that distict noise of injectors working in a non firing cylinder), then, with a satisfactory roar, she takes life

The starboard, the barsted, behaves, starting today with out hesitation.

Chiburi, for today, is good.

Hirate will run the engines for about 15 minutes, then shut them down until Chiburi sails at 10 am. It will be a short trip, barely a thousand yards into the bay. Captain Ukagi shouts a few orders, the anchor splashes down, and Chiburi slips back into silence, the generators rumble her only sign of life.

Not a clue on her next mission, she is, in fact, almost alone in the harbour.

Chiburi lies still at anchor, the day brilliantly still, the bay a mirror. There is a saying Japanese sailors work a eight day week, and Hitate and Okano great the new day fully prpared to spend it drilling, drilling, and drilling some more. But as the morning drags on, only inactivity fills the day.

The two men find themselves on the stern, both staring towards the distant shore. With care, they can delude themselves that they can see home

Small groups of the crew occasionally gather together, but nobody speaks to them.

Of the Charge, of the Captain, there is no sign.

Around noon, a small barge pulls alongside, a small burst of activity as the crew bring on the stores being delivered. Hirate passes a box to Okano. "I think I know where we are headed my friend" "About the only bloody place we haven't been to"

The boxes are heavy

Marked quite clearly, "Winter clothing"

But soon that small break in the day soon passes.

Chiburi lies quietly, and eventually the sun sets.

The next boat arrives after dark. It slides alogside quietly, and five men climb onboard

Kemphati. No, deeper than that Herbiesans own personal guards. Dressed darkly, a thin, whip hard major leading them Captain Ugaki greets them with a curt nod. Silently they head towards the bridge.

Hirate and Ogano are in the engineroom when then Major enters. Strangely, Ugaki is with him "Who are these men?" the question snaps across the space 'They are not of the original selections!"

Kaga refuels near legaspi, she will penetrate the san bernado straight tonight, and at full power, make for manilla.

The tanks charge south down the great valley towards Kukong, and seal the trap. Tomoorow, the first deliberate attacks on the 4 chinese corps trapped here. The allies have flung P51's, and a great many warhawks into the battle, the japanese zeros, and elderly Sonias and ida's. This battle is beginning to show alarming signs of dragging in units willy nilly.

In cambodia, boldness is about to be rewarded

A tank regiment has slipped across the river near Ubon, eastern cambodia, now, undetected, it has raced west, tomorrow, Nakhon Richasima will be captured, cutting the supply lines to the british in northern cambodia. Encouraged, japan has launched an offensive in easten cambodia, objectives, Nakhon Richasima , Ayuthia, maybe even bangkok. The allies have flung huge numbers towards malaya, now to strike!

japan cannot achieve a victory in malaysia, cambodia, Thialand. This is known. But better to fight there than Hong kong, Hanoi, China, yes? Better to have the british chase their bloody tails, than ours. Better to die in the attack, than defending a hole.

Two escorts are sunk defending Hoshos convoy, another white knuckle night of cracking depth charges, clanging thuds of hits, and tonight, the rattle of guns, the whine of shells as a ss fights her last on the surface.

malaya, still Japans, Chumphon holding. A fast transport landing behind the enemy lines at Prachuap Khiri, Khan.........that will cause some troubles. A bonus with the transports getting away. Cambodia, thialand, still ours, and now, 3 divisions on the offensive......

The oil, still flowing from the DEI, and Ambon the furtherest thrust.

Truk, still functioning, and even a transport getting into Entiwetok.

The empire still holds.

Where will it come?, the thrust must , must be decisive on his behalf.......

I look to my air commanders

"And nothing, you see nothing?"

"Sir, we have search planes at truk, the marianas, marcus, from parishimo all the way to Northern Japan. There are no gaps, and the oceans remain empty"

"Even in the North?". Rumours of sightings, here,.........

"A Myrt struck a DE at Attu island, some ASW shipping sighting. No major contacts " "And the shipping near Timor?

"It waxes and wanes.......CVE's , for sure, but..............."

The enemy simply seems un willing to do anything offensive, except, bomb, bomb, bomb the rubble he has bombed for the weeks past. I am flumuxed.

But the oil still flows, the fuel still flows.

There is, of course, one last thing to ponder. We have not seen a B-29 for months..........

Stepping outside of the game here. Its december 44, and this game must now go into 45 I suspect,but as described, see a direct attack on the Home islands as Cantona's only chance.

How will I tackle it?, if it comes.?

Not how one would think

Nothing, not a vessel,(excluding the fast transport ships) not a plane, not a unit (3 sentais excepted, the elites ones), will be re deployed from present positions in the south. Why?

Oil, Fuel. As long as these flow, the war can continue I think cantona will try for the Northern islands, I think the weather will help, and these islands will need a good effort to take, and to supply. I think he will try then, and only then, for the DEI, thinking I must respond to his thrust.

I hope so, and I hope to hand him one last defeat, then, the fleet will turn north

Just wish he would do something!!!

For interest sake, there is buggar all HI reserve, barely a million tons of fuel, only 350000 tons of oil , and shortages of supply everywhere in the empire. But aircraft production powers on.

Hosho, 15th army arrives safely in Kagoshima, and goes into rest camp. It is desperately needed. 112th division arrives from Korea

In China, the thrust towards canton by the chinese is halted at Kukong, but other thrusts are going to cause no end of trouble.

One thing for sure, there is no way he will reach Tokyo before mid 45, in fact, this game may well go to the very, very finish.

Chiburi bounces across the swells, her bow rising, plunging, the spray, breakers crashing across her bow, swirling about her forward gun, streaming out her scuppers.

She is making heavy weather of it. It is cold, a mere 3 degrees, and the wind bites.

Captain Ugaki stares as best he can through the screens, the windscreen wipers failing utterly to combat the sea and rain. For the hundreth time he glares at the helmsman, he wants to curse him, needs to curse him, recongnises the futility, the man is doing the best he can.

For the hundreth time, his thoughts turn to the two crates swallowing up all the spare space in his cabin. Then he thinks of the two soldiers guarding the door.and grins. A better color green he has not seen for a long, long time..

But those crates.........so much wieght. If they should break free.

Water crashes against the bridge, snapping his attention back "helmsman!, the course!"

two days to sapporo, then, even further north. And for sure, into weather that would make this stuff appear like a mill pond.

The hall is packed, the murmer of 5000 men and women awaiting his word.

This is the moment Herbiesan lives for. The Dias, the crowd, the speech, the chance to wield real power just with his spoken word.

"The president, that small little man, says he is coming soon...........he is like a wife of years and years, full of promises, full of maybe tomorrows, maybe if you waits, it will be very specials............., well Mr president, we are still waiting. We are still here, we are getting, how shall we say it, a little cynical? Promises, promises!............well, let me return one of our own. There is not enough blood, not enough in all your armies, in all your ships, in all your planes, that we will spill while you try to fullfill your "promises"!

Japan will never surrender!, Never!, never, never!"

Ah, the roar....they roar with approval.

Poor people. Poor , poor, Japanese people..............Oh we will spill blood.............so much blood.

At Sapporro, Hirate had, apparently made a mistake. Even as the gangway had been secured, he had begun to cross, keen to sample the fuel before bringing the fuel hose aboard. One of the soldiers, dark, silent, and heavily armed, had stepped into his way.

"Out of thw way you oath, I am going to refuel" No answer, except the loud, distinct cocking of the gun.

"He's Ok", Ugaki called down from the bridge............and Chiburi gets re fuelled

But now, in the din of the engineroom, Hirate still cannot shake the feeling.

"I really think, Okano, that he would have shot me if I'd gone down that gangway" 'Oh, don't be stupid"

Except, of course, Okano thinks, what are the guards guarding?, those crates, or them?

Ukagi straightens from the voice pipe, then moves to the main broadcast. For a moment he hesitates. Up until this very moment, right now, he can say his honour is unblemished. But take this step.........

But he must, no?. The revolution must go on. If not in Japan, why not here? he glances towards the Charge. 'All still clear sir" Good. Other than the Charge, The bridge is deserted. Ugaki has brought her into this snowswept bay himself. The crew, to the last man, ordered below decks.

"Special boats party, to your station"

About them, the forests brood , quiet. There could be 100000 russians aiming at them right now, or none.

Soon, he must find out.

"Hold her here charge, and wish me luck"

he moves towards the bridge wing. The Charges arm reaches out, holds him, and his face is close, and dark. "I hope this is for the revolution my friend, and not just for ourselves......." 'I have followed herbiesan since the very beginning...he will reward us for this"

The Charges hand loosens its grip. "I hope so, for the two of us"

The four soldiers, the Captain, the two crates, fill the ships boat to the brim. But the bay is mirror calm. Quietly they motor over the black waters, touch gently on the pebble shore.

It takes all five of them to carry each crate ashore, they are more than heavy.

Like an apparition, the rusian soldiers slide out from the forests dark soldiers. Ten men, and one civilian.

Rifles rise, on both sides "Captain Ugaki?' His Japanese is crude, but good enough "Hiei" "rovasski, and the password is second try" Ugki smiles, motions to his men to lower their weapons

'Herbiesan sends his package, as promised"

Rovasski nods........but still motions to one of his men, who produces a crow bar, and with a struggle, loosens a crate lid.

The gold glitters.

There is a lot of it. Ugaki finally drags his eyes from the crate..........."Sometimes revolutions need more than guns and blood" Rovasski nods. "dah, and this will buy a lot of it" He abruptly extends his hand.'We will see you again, I think?"

"If the war goes badly, yes, I think"

The smile Rovasski gives is one one gives to a dying patient, whilst they plan their next Christmas......... 'Victory is only one more battle away, yes?"

Ugaki does not answer.

An hour later, in gathering fog and falling snow, Chiburi begins her trip for home.